Love, Ghosts, and Pumpkin Spice: Why Spooky Season is Perfect for Romance

Watercolor I did a few years ago.

I don’t know about you, but fall is my favorite time of year. After the heat of summer I’m ready to cozy up in my favorite sweater, sip something pumpkin spiced while flipping the pages of a good book, and maybe even light a candle or two just for the atmosphere. I’m addicted to Yankee Candle’s scents especially Autumn Leaves even the name just evokes that sound of wet, fallen leaves under my boots as I’m out walking through a forest.

Growing up in Florida I just never got to see the leaves change color and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since.  The first time I visited Vermont in the fall I fell in love.  I’m still in love with Vermont and the seasons there. When I was choosing a setting for my ghost book I knew there was only one place that would work.

There’s something about autumn that feels made for mixing a little spooky with a lot of cozy. I’m not really into jump scares or having to sleep with the lights on, but watching the tv screen through my fingers waiting for the next scare is my sweet spot.  The television show Wednesday has the perfect vibes for me. In the UK unlike Florida the nights get longer, the air feels crisper, and suddenly I’m craving stories that give me both a shiver down my spine and a happy sigh at the end.

That’s one of the reasons I loved writing a romance with a touch of the supernatural. Ghosts and love stories actually have a lot in common—they’re both about connection, about things that linger, and about emotions that refuse to be forgotten. I lost my maternal grandmother less than a month before I turned 30.  We were very close so this loss hit me hard.  I still feel her presence when I need it.  A little boost of confidence when I’m feeling unsure or sad. 

Now, she’s not really haunting me but her presence in my heart and mind are always there. 

When it comes to fiction add in a little suspense, a little humor, and of course, a dash of spice, and in my opinion you’ve got the perfect fall read.

Younger me with my grandmother and great-great uncle Jim.

Think about it: who doesn’t want to believe in a love so powerful it could cross the boundaries of life and death? It’s a delicious blend of chills and thrills…with a guaranteed happily ever after.

That’s exactly the kind of story I wanted to capture when I wrote Ghost of a Chance. It has all my favorite fall ingredients: a heroine who knows how to fake it until she maybe, possibly makes it, a hero who’s dealing with a ghost he can’t ignore, and just enough spice to keep things steamy while the nights get cool. It’s playful, a little mysterious, and full of that opposites-attract spark.

The ghost needed to have a reason to be hanging on as well. Though I do think it would be fun if they were simply there for some hijinks, but I thought it would round out the story better to have a genuine connection to Jasper. It took me a while to settle on the ghost but that was the fun part. I knew he loved Judge Judy and that he was always trying to guide Jasper—which that lovable doofus never realizes.

For me, romance isn’t just about the swoon—it’s about the adventure of falling in love, whether that means solving a mystery, braving something supernatural, or simply opening your heart to the unexpected. I love that feeling of butterflies in my stomach when the characters realize they are falling for each other.  It’s a little bit like I’m falling too.

So as we step into my favorite season, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating all things cozy, spooky, and romantic.

Now tell me—what’s your perfect fall read? Do you like your love stories with a touch of the paranormal, or do you stick to the classic swoons?